Governance

Citymoves Board of Trustees

Chair - Undergoing recruitment

for more information please email citymoves@citymoves.org.uk

Vice-Chair - Rhianne Benger

An advocate for the creative arts and their value to professional development, Rhe spent over twenty years of study and an early career in dance and performance. Curious to explore her experience in different environments, she developed skills in various sectors, including human rights charities, membership organisations, and professional services. An empathetic leader, she has strengths in managing high-performing teams, leading people through change, and guiding workplace equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Originally from South Wales and raised in the Northwest of England, Rhe holds an MFA in Choreography from Roehampton University and a BA (Hons) in Dance and Culture from the University of Surrey. Outside work, she continues her dance and performative writing practice and is also a Trustee for a Mental Health charity in Essex.

Head of the Finance and Resources
Farooq Ahmad

"Farooq has vast experience of teaching, research and course leadership at the higher education sector in the UK. His area of specialisation is corporate finance, international finance and term structure of interest rates. As course leader, Farooq has been involved with international professional bodies in the field of accounting and finance for the accreditation of courses under his leadership. Farooq has published in leading academic journals in accounting and finance and has been a research fellow at the State (Central) Bank of Pakistan. Farooq has also delivered finance modules in MBA programs in Finland, Kazakhstan and Algeria. Farooq’s hobbies are travelling, watching history and playing tennis. Farooq speaks four languages (commonly spoken in Pakistan/India) and an active supporter of social, charitable and developmental movements/bodies".

Ed Walton

Ed is Deputy Head Teacher at Fraserburgh Academy, Aberdeenshire. Ed has a background in Drama, Theatre and Film and has worked in this field in Aberdeen and the South West of England since 2001. Ed brings expertise to the board on Child Safeguarding; Scottish Curriculum; Leadership; Improvement Planning; Qualifications & Education Partnerships. Ed also sits as a Governor for Robert Gordon University.

Alison Brodie

Alison is a producer, project manager and artistic programmer. Currently Creative Producer with Curated Place, she devises, curates and produces art-led creative interventions, festivals and professional development across the UK and internationally. With a background in theatre and opera she has worked across UK large-scale touring, international fringe circuits and ground-breaking participatory opera. She has a track-record in delivering complex, multi-stakeholder projects for local authorities, arts charities and commercial producers in traditional arts spaces, as well as site-specific or public-realm events and installations. Originally from Fife, she studied Politics at University of Strathclyde, and worked in England for 10 years before relocating to Aberdeenshire in 2019.

Linzy McAvoy

Linzy is an experienced dance artist and arts manager that is knowledgeable in; community engagement, fundraising, artist development, education and partnership working. She is a former development manager at Citymoves who also taught extensively on the studio and outreach programmes. Linzy retrained as a primary teacher in 2019 and is currently studying a Masters in Learning and Teaching in the Arts at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She is part of the Scottish Primary Dance Teachers Network and is passionate about the value the arts can have within the education sector.

Lesley Thomson

Lesley has 25 years experience of working in local government, most recently as Cultural Policy and Partnerships Manager at Aberdeen City Council. During this period, she managed a team responsible for the relationships between external cultural organisations, artists, trusts, national arts organisations, Scottish Government and Creative Scotland. She managed the Council’s investment of £3m in culture, creative grants, Creative Scotland Place Partnership, cultural events and established an annual programme of events including SPECTRA, Look Again, Granite Noir and Creative Spaces. She was responsible for the development of Cultural Policy and Strategy, the role of arts in community planning and for capital projects developed by Aberdeen City Council and partners.

Lesley continues to be actively involved in the arts through printmaking, painting, literature and her Board Membership of Citymoves and Peacock Visual Arts.

Scott Styles

Scott Styles is a senior lecturer at the University of Aberdeen School of Law. Scott joined the faculty after holding lectureships in private law in the universities of Edinburgh and Dundee. His interests are Jurisprudence, Commercial Law, Oil and Gas Law, and the Scottish Legal Tradition.

Laura Pike

After earning her Bachelor's Degree in Music Education (Hons.), with a focus on singing and piano studies, from the Northern College of Education in Aberdeen, Laura pursued further studies in Musical Theatre at the Mountview Academy of Performing Arts in London. In 2003, she returned to Aberdeen and joined the staff of the Primary and Music Education Degree program at the University of Aberdeen before serving as the Director of Music at Albyn School in Aberdeen until 2013.

In 2014, Laura pivoted her career following a personal experience with a stroke while she was 38 weeks pregnant. She firmly believes that, her background in the creative arts, helped accelerate her recovery and is a strong advocate for this now.

This life-changing experience motivated her to become a Financial Adviser, a role she deeply enjoys and believes allows her to make a difference in people's lives, through protecting, preserving and growing wealth for you and your family.

In June 2024, Laura launched her own practice, The Pike Partnership which is based on Countesswells Road.

‘On her 8th day’, Laura specialises in Financial Education for both primary and secondary schools in the North-East.